William w



(No Model.)

W. W. HOPKINS.

v GOMPUTINGBALANGE. I No. 247,761 Patented Oct. 4,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM W. HOPKINS, OF THOBNTOWN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOPKINSIMPROVED SCALE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COMPUTING-BALANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,761, dated October4, 1881.

Application filed March 16, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. HOPKINS, a resident of Thorn town, countyof Boone, and State of Indiana, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Scales, of' which the followiugis a specification,referen e being had to the accompanying drawing.

The object of my invention is to produce a weighing-scale which shallindicate the price of the goods weighed. This object 1 accomplish bymeans of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichthe fignreis a perspective view.

a is a lever, having its fulcrum at b on the base or frame of the scale.The short arm of a is graduated and marked with figures representingdollars or cents, used to indicate price per pound, or unit price. ashereinafter explained. The long arm of ais connected with an index-handthrough the medium of a rack and pinion, controlled by a spring, or inany other suitable manner, so that the movements of the lever arecommunicated to the indexhand.

cis a receiving pan or platform, resting on a knife-edge at o, andarranged to slide therewith along the short arm of the lever a. Thecasting which supports the knife-edge 0 is proided with a rack, 67,which engages the pinion g, said pinion resting in bearings formed onlever a.

e is a counterpoise, arranged to slide along the long arm of a tobalance the pan or plat form 0. It is provided with a raclgf, which alsoengages the pinion g.

h is a diaLpIate, over which the hand moves. Said dial is graduated andmarked with figures representing dollars or cents, said graduationshaving such a fixed relation to the proportion between the long andshort arms of the lever a, and to the figures on theshort arm thereof,that the receiving-pan being slid along the short. arm of a to thefigure representing the unit price of the article contained thereon thetotal price, or price of the whole, is shown on the dial by theindex-hand. As the pan 0 is slid along the short arm of a by means ofthe pinion g and rack 61, the counterpoise 0 moves equally in theopposite direction along the long arm of a, thus preserving the relativeweight of the pan or platform.

To illustrate the operation of my scale, suppose that we have a piece ofmeat to weigh worth five cents per pound, we place the index on thesliding support of the empty receiving-pan at the figure 5 on thegraduated lever. The counterpoise is moved ail-equal distance along thelever in the opposite direction, so the scale is still balanced and. theindex-hand remains at O on the dial. We now place the meat in thereceiving-pan. If its Weight is one pound, the index-hand points to 50.on thedial; it two pounds,the hand points to 100., and so on, theposition of the receiving-pan on the lever indicating the price perpound, or the unit price, and the recording mechanism indicating theunitprice multiplied by thenumberof pounds in thcarlicle weighed. 1 usethe dial and index'haud in this case simply to illustrate. my invention.It is obvious that weights having figures marked upon them indicatingdollars or cents may be used on the long arm in place of the spring andrack, pinion and dial.

By the use of my device the. value of the an ticle Weighed is determinedatonce and shown in plain figures, thus saving time and insuringaccuracy.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. Thecombination of t-he'lever at, having its short arm graduated and markedin the mannor described, and the sliding pan or platform 0, whereby theunit price of the article weighed is indicated.

2. The sliding platform 0, rack (I, pinion g, rack f, couuterpoisc c,and lever a, when combined in the manner shown, and for the purpose setforth.

3. In combination with the sliding platform 0, racks (Z and f, pinion g,counterpoise c, and lever a, the dial-plate h, graduated and marked asdescribed, and an index-hand operated by lever a, substantially in themanner described.

, WILLIAM W. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

N. M. CROUCH, H. P. H001).

